Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-08-15
A MYSTERIOUS WARNING
THAT REVEALED A HEAVY ROBBERY
OF THE EXPRESS.

cape of the Robber.
South WOODBURY., Vt, Aug. 15-North
Calais is small town on a branch of the
Wells River railroad, but it has big sensa-
ton. desperate attempt was made last
Wednesday night to rob the express messen-
gers safe in the railroad station office and
was frustrated in a manner so mysterious
that it seemed to border on the weird The
hero of the day, the station agent, stated Sat
urtlay that he was yet uncertain which
frightened him most, the robber or the
strange warning Herman s. Ben amin, a
sturdy Green mountain boy, who lives in
Woodbury., three miles away, is the station
agent, and he has on his hands as a memento
of the affair large stained coffin left behind
by the robber, which he will give with hand
some bonus to any one who will give him
some ciew to either the burglar or the indi
vidual who sent him the startling warning,
There had been thunderstorm early in the
evening, and the night was dark and dis
agreeable when he came on duty at O'Clock.
He was not at all fiattered at the prospect
before him, for it was what is known as
quarry eve," the date being one of the re-
gular perio,.s that the monthly money for the
stone quarres near by is sent up by the banks
in Montpelier, and its safety was his respons-
Utility. Upon the night in question Benja-
min had taken the keys of the safe from the
day agent and assumed his duties for the
night, and proceeded to make himself COM
Portable The station is nearly mile from
the village, and after the $50 o'clock accom-
mediation passes there is no traffic except the
II O'Clock night express which does not stop,
and possibly through freight OF two When
the day agent handed him the keys this night
he remarked that the quarry doodle had
come Said he; ats in the safe there-S3S :
900 in bilb The silver will be up on the way
train
Benjamin said good night and thought no
more about the money until the accommoda-
ton train arrived, at $50, when an iron
bound box, about foot square, was deliv-
cred to him by the express messenger The
box was filed with silver dollars and was
quite heavy Herman placed it in the safe
as was his custom, for he had done this same
thing for several years After the train left
he set his signals and lights for the express,
which was due at II O'Clock, and then en-
tered the ticket office and sat down to read.
The telegraph ticker, close at hand, oeca-
sionally licked off through message of nc
particular Importance, and he paid little OF
no attention to the instrument until suddenly
his office was called three times rapidly. He
sprang to the KEY and answered for his
duties as an operator were part of his re-
quirements No reply to the answer came,
and after waiting some time he shut off the
key and went back to his reading. Again he
was called, with the same result, and this
was repeated twice, until, angry and dis
gUISted he had decided that some one was
playing him trick and he sat glaring at the
offending sounder, his book in hand, when a
message began to rattle out its very meager-
ness being startling. 1t said;
Watch the box" Watch the box
Watch the boxr
After short interval the message was re-
peated again three times and although Ben
jamin cut in and tried to ask who was the
sender, all he could get was:
Watch the box Watch the box
At last he surmised that it meant the box
of silver He opened the safe and looked in.
It was all safe there, and while he was Won
dering what it was all about the whistle OF
the express was heard He went out as
usual and was surprised to see that it was
slowing up to stop No passengers alghted.
but several of the employees lifted from the
baggage-car a coffin, the outer covering of
stained pine They said they had orders tC
stop ard leave it to be called for in the morn,
ing. II was marked Care of Station Agent,
and TO be caleI for The box WAS placed
in the express-rnom near the safe. and the
tran departed, but no sooner had its rum
blings ceased than the Geographic instrument
began again in its most lively manner the old
roundelay:
watch the hox,7 Watch the box
Watch the hoxt'
All of sudden. by instinct, il seemed, there
| flashed through Benjamin's brain the thought
that perhaps it was the somber looking caskei
that the mysterious message referred to- He
examined it carefully, but there was nothing
| suspicious about il. 1t was heavy, there was
| no sound within and the lid seemed securely
| screwed down. 1t did not seem at all slIspi
cious, but Herman determined TO be on the
| safe side, and decided he would keep his eye
open The key by this time had suddenly
ceased to rattle, aud he made preparations
| for getting some sleep. He made up his
/ usual irnpromptu bed on a bench and after
seeing that his revolver was all right he
| placed it under his head and laid down He
watched the coffin for some time, but grew
drowsy, and finally, without knowing it.
| dropped off into sleep. How long he slept he
does not know, but be heard the telegraph
instrument in the next room rattling away
| furiously and extraordinarily loud:
Watch the box" Watch the boxr
"Watch the box"
He was fully awake in an instant, and
turning his gaze to where the coffin lay he
saw by the dim light of the station lamp the
| lid rise slightly He watched hreathlessly
and cold sweat broke out all over him as
| he saw the lid slowly and noiselessly rise and
| a man sit up in the coffin. His heart beaI
| quick as the man got up and slipped out OF
| the box and looked about HIM. He was evi
| IDENTIFY a burglar as he wore Grape mash
and carried a bulls eye in one hand and some
| tools in the other. He was powerfully
| built fellow, hut so was Benjamin, who. see
| ing his visitor was flesh and blood, regaineC
his courage His policy was best to lie still
| and watch Developments, and. although tht
robber came up ciose to him and showed hi,
lantern down into his face, he never moved
muscle
| Taking il for granted be was asleep, th'
! burglar stole over to the safe and knelt be
fore it with his back to the agent Now wa
| Ben iamin's time for sezing his revolver. He
| stepped from the bench and with boun,
was on the burglars back Then there en-
sued terrible struggle, but Benjamin had
him about the neck, and was slowly stran
| Cling him when the man drew long knit
and lunged at his antagonist. To save him
self Benjamin pressed his revolver agains
| the robbers shoulder and fired With
howl the robber rolled over on his back tn
blood pouring from his wound Believing
him to be diving Benjamin left him and raj
down the road with al speed to the village
reaching the residence of DIR. Holt all out o
breath. He awoke the physician, to WHOM
be hurriedly told his tale, and with less thai
ten minutes delay the two men were run
ming toward the station. Half way Their
they were passed by a top wagon bein
driven furiously coward the village The
called to the driver, but he paid no attentio
TO them
When they entered the station, to the
surprise they found the supposed dead ma
gone. There was the empty coffin and tn
burglar tools, just as the robber droppe